


Animal Magnetism

by dancinbutterfly



Category: Warehouse 13
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-20
Updated: 2009-12-20
Packaged: 2017-10-04 19:33:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/33343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dancinbutterfly/pseuds/dancinbutterfly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the events of Regret and Claudia's close call with Volta's Lab Coat</p>
            </blockquote>





	Animal Magnetism

Okay, so, the thing is, it's not like Claudia wants crazy shit like this to happen. Getting stuck the metal girder? Not the plan, never was. She was just trying to do what Artie had told her and things just sort of went pear-shaped from there.

Actually, in general her plans never seem to end the way she, well, planned. She blames being crazy for a few years. Also, Artie and the rest of the Warehouse don't identify things as clearly and concisely as they could. They could do with slightly more visible and easier to read labels, that's all she's saying. It wouldn't take that long to do, right? Not everything has to be sitting in lockdown in Artie's brain.

"It's not in lockdown in my brain. It's in the manual. If you had read the manual, then maybe you wouldn't have gotten stuck forty feet up being pelted with metal objects while trying to fix a damn light bulb that didn't need fixing in the first place!"

Claudia folds her arms over her chest and glares at Artie. "I don't care what you say, those Shelby bulbs don't stay lit forever."

"Unbelievable," Artie sighs. There's a vein in his neck that's still throbbing from getting her down off the girder and it's a little hypnotizing. "It's like a tree falling in the forest. When I lecture you, do I even make a sound?"

"Of course you do," she says with a small smirk. It covers the stale fear still coursing through her even now that she's been down and safe for almost an hour. It's easier this way. "I just don't always choose to hear it."

Artie's thick hands grab her shoulders and shake. It's startling and it makes her breath catch in a way that has nothing to do with feeling guilty for screwing up so epically. "Well hear me now, Claudia. These rules aren't here to piss you off or bum you out or punish you or whatever small-minded delusion you're under. I can do that fine myself. They're in place to protect you."

He is so damn close and he's just… he looks worried. He is genuinely worried, even now that it's all over. And he's not worried about the suit or that she'll break something. He's worried about her.

She's still getting used to that, people caring. She's gone years without it and she got used to it, adapted. Aside from the crazy awesome smarts that Artie tends to forget that she has, she can adapt and deal with the best of them. She had to without Joshua. But part of coping was cauterizing bits and pieces (the soft parts that drove her into that hospital in the first place) and so now, when Artie looks at her like that, like he gives a damn, it throws her off.

"I'm not stupid Artie."

"No, you're certainly not that," Artie agrees, letting go of her so that he can pull off his glasses and cleaning them with the bottom of his shirt. He puts them back on and sighs. "You just act like it a startlingly high fraction of the time."

"Artie-"

"No. No, Claudia. You could've been killed today. Do you get that? This is dangerous and you could've died today." He shifts tone and presence so fast that Claudia feels a little dizzy.

It reminds her that as much as she remembers from when she was a kid and as old and obvious as he is there's so much she still has no idea about where Artie's concerned. She wants to know, though. He's an especially complex and difficult puzzle and she loves puzzles.

"I'm okay."

"This time. But what about the next time? What about if the time when I'm not here to come clean up your mess? You have to take care of yourself, Claudia, because this job is dangerous, and you've proven to me that you don't take the situation seriously."

"I do take it seriously. I was dead serious up there." She rubs the back of her neck. "Once I realized what was going on."

"Assume they're all out to kill you. Assume every artifact in the Warehouse is potentially more dangerous than an angry grizzly bear and treat them with the same respect. More."

"Nice to know you care," Claudia chirps before she can stop herself. She doesn't mean to say that, not when Artie's honestly trying warn her, but sarcastic is her default mode (more so when she's got an adrenaline excess, like today) and she can't help but fall back into it now.

Artie looks actually angry for a moment. It flashes across his face dark and hard and her face is suddenly held between his fingers, so hard it almost hurts. "I care," Artie says fiercely, looking directly into her eyes as he speaks. "I care about all of you but unlike you, Myka and Pete aren't foolish and careless and also unlike you, both of them are highly trained secret service agents. You forced your way in here, Claudia, and I don't want to have to carry you out in pieces. So don't you think for a second I don't care."

"Oh," Claudia breathes, every movement of her mouth making her skin press deeper into Artie's fingertips. "Okay."

"Don't accuse me of that again. I care." He repeats, looking a little stunned himself as his fingers stop digging and stroke gently down her jaw. "I care."

She swallows a little loudly because wow, her throat is so dry all of a sudden. Weird. "I'm glad."

"Don't make me save you again, all right? I'm getting too old for this."

"Sixty's not that old."

Artie smiles at her but doesn't let go of her face, which is just fine with Claudia. She likes his hand there. It feels good.

"Yeah, for trees."

"And Galapagos tortoises." Claudia agrees.

There's a long moment where there's nothing in the office but the sound of their breathing. Claudia hasn't been in situations like this very often, and definitely never with a guy forty years older than she is. But something could happen here. She can feel it. She wants it.

But then his hand falls away and he's stepping back, blustery, scattered, but focused normal Artie again. "Well, this young tortoise wants to you to promise him you won't do this again, and you can get started sweeping the Warehouse floor."

She frowns and tries to push back a petulant whine. It's like Sisyphus pushing that bolder up the hill and it's a little harsh. But her protest is oddly half-hearted. "Artie, that'll take forever."

"Then I'd get started now if I were you. Promise me first."

"I promise."

Artie's hand squeezes her wrist briefly and then he gives her a dismissive wave. "Go on," he says. "The floor's not going to clean itself. And for the love of God, don't touch anything this time."

Claudia nods and doesn't argue which isn't like her. But she brushes her fingers over her skin where he touched her face as she grabs the broom and doesn't complain as she heads down to the Warehouse floor.


End file.
